Kelly enjoying a nice stroll on the beach during our island hopping in El Nido.
After a day of touring the islands in El Nido, it became obvious to us why this is one of the most popular destinations in Palawan. For starters, it has an endless array of cascading limestone cliffs, a truly impressive site. The captivating view from the main beachfront is just a glimpse to what lies beyond. From secret lagoons to white sand beaches and majestic caves (see our previous post) El Nido is a place full of mystery and enchantment.
Island Hopping Tours are an all-day excursion (9am-4pm) and advertise for about 500-700 pesos (approx $11-$15 USD) per person, depending on the destinations in the package. By arrranging a tour through a local banca-boat driver (next to Rico's Cottages where we stayed,) we got a deal for about 400 pesos per person for Tour A & 500 pesos for Tour B (in a group of four.) Fresh grilled fish, salad, and fruit are all included. Just bring your own water and beverages of choice. If you're yearning for a little more adventure and a day tour is just not enough for you, overnight packages are also available.
We suggest a hearty breakfast on the beach to start. Several restaurants offer breakfast with eggs, toast, and fresh-brewed coffee. You'll need the energy for a day of island hopping. Now away we go!
7 Commando Beach is usually the last stop on tour A. The only island with a relaxing small refreshment stand, it's the perfect place to enjoy a Buko (Coconut) juice after a day of island hopping. Included in the 50 pesos ($1.25 USD) the woman at the stand can also open up the Buko after your last sip and make a spoon for you to scoop the remains of the creamy flesh. Now that's a taste of paradise!
Is a most mysterious and intriguing place...Accesible only through a small opening, we had to awkwardly maneuver ourselves and our cameras to get to the other side. Feeling a little like Alice going through the rabbit hole, suddenly we felt overwhelmingly small next to the elevated ceilings and chiseled interiors. Shafts of light filtered down and illuminated the amorphous walls. Organic and sculptural, it is a work of art from all angles. We were inspired by the creative possibilities at this location and could have spent hours experimenting with our cameras. Here are a couple examples:
Naturally formed from millions of years of erosion, there is still uncertainty as to what the caves were used for. Archeological evidence suggests that it could have been a Neolithical burial place, because bones were found at the site. Located on the mainland of Palawan, the cave is definitely one of the highlights of "Tour B" in El Nido.
We took a 10 minute tricycle ride around the corner of El Nido town to Corong-Corong, known for it's impressive sunset views. Unfortunately, as we arrived the clouds had quickly rolled in, making the sky overcast and dull. Instead, we met Voy and his twin sons just as they were coming in from their afternoon of fishing. After asking the name of the two photogenic boys, Voy jokingly replied, "Uno and Dos." Later he explained that their real names were Allan and Allen. Yes....you read that correctly, same name, spelled differently.
The boys definitely made an impression on us and we couldn't help featuring them on our blog. We enjoy meeting local personalities along the way and will feature more "local life stories" in posts to come!
<p>Snorkeling Video in Palawan from Discover Palawan on Vimeo.</p>
Being two dive enthusiasts, we usually choose diving over snorkeling anyday, however we took the word from locals that snorkeling is comparable to diving in El Nido. We were pleasantly surprised by the corals thriving within 5-10 feet underwater and the creatures that inhabited the reef. Here's some snapshots from our snorkeling session by Panglasian Island.
Authentic Filipino Flippers! Courtesy of our banca boat driver Dan-Dan, we were able to try on a pair of these cleverly constructed flippers. Resembling wooden ping-pong paddles with foot straps, we were amazed by the efficiency of the flippers depsite their simple construction.
